The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-07-15


- Dsagss - 1nerusslng ~ cnge = =
Gngsns 20 Incenuseone ooan1s resste1y
Fxempslasa-A Sd llse - Cnsun1t)oe -
Heavy Loo - Valuable Properey.
BxLLEvlLLs. III. July "A terrible -
cident occurred yesterday morning on tho
farm % John Barth. about three miies
southeast OF Mascoutah, Ill An engine
% Z threading machine exploded while .
number Of men were around H. with
awful effect The following y list o.
the victims;
John Plab. killed
VIII Plah both legs broken.
Herman Lenkcmcyer, arm blown on
Peter Dumond. slightly injured
Edward Schntler. leg broken
The water was allowed TO got too low
in the boiler and more was let IN while
the boiler was hot Tho explosion FOL
lowed. II was shortly after six o'clock
when Peter Dumond and John Plab ar
rived ~ the Barth farm with the thrcsh-
ngmschine. Dumond owned the ma
chine and has been doing nearly oil the
threshing for farmers In tho vicinity OF
Mascoutah-
Yesterday was the time set for his visit
to the Barth farm. and when he arrived
with the machine all the farm hands
were ~ the gate to meet him. Dumond
had engaged John Plab. q young man
twenty years Of age, Is engineer, and tho
latter raised steam when the machine
had been placed in position on the farm.
Dumond climbed up on the machine, and
remarked 10 Plab:
syohnnie. you have got more steam on
than you ought 10 have"
~Ail right" said Piab, Il win remedy
that
Plab attempted to put in some more
water. The terrible explosion followed.
The machine was blown up in the air
and lodged on the thresher about ten
feet distant Plab was carried seventy
I'VE feet in the air and instantly killed.
Both his legs were blown on. and one OF
them was found nearly block from the
sce-e Of the accident
A younger brother, who was standing
near the machine, had both his legs
broken Peter Dumond, Herman Lenke-
meyer and Edward Schutler were arrang :
ing the thresher at the instant Of the ex'
piosion. and when the engine struck the
thresher Dumond and Schuetler were
knocked 70 the ground and Lenkemeyer
was knocked down and imprisoned be-
tween the engine and the separator. One OF
6chuetler's legs was broken, but Dumond
was only slightly injured. Lenksmeyer's
position was perilous and he would
probably have been burned to death mad
not other farm hands, who were in a safe
position when the explosion occurred,
came quickly to his rescue. When taken
out Of the burning thresher one OF his
arms was found TO have been torn on, and
was afterward amputated-
Two fine horses which had been left
standing near the engine were instantly
killed. When the engine lodged on the
thresher the latter Immediately took Ere,
and in about ten minutes after the expio-
sion was reduced 70 ashes. together with
two farm wagons which were in close
proxi nifty.
The no ise OF the explosion was heard a
mile or more distant, and in less than
fifteen minutes after il had occurred
there were hundreds Of people at the
scene. Physicians were brought from
Mascoutah and every thing possible was
done to alleviate the suferings Of the in
jured. The condition Of the youngest
Plab Is ve-, serious and he may die.
I John Plab, the young man killed, was
I twenty years Of age, and was an intellt
| gent young farmer. bus had very little ex.
( perience with machinery. He probably
4 n4u no iut4 now low ZIG Waerf ~ way
| boiler OF the engine was or he would moi
| have attempted to put more in while the
. boiler was 80 hot When picked up his
body was unrecognizable. Both legs had
been blown on close TO the body and his
T, face was awfully blackened and Scared
Dumond. the owner Of the machine, who
escaped without any serious injury, Is
wefl-xnown all over the country. ne hav-
ing for years done all the threshing Tor
farmers around Nascoutah. He was
/ fairly well-to-do
I A sad feature in connection with the
! accident was that the father Of the Plab
| boy, who is confaed in the county jail on
| . peace warrant had the news broken 70
I him in his cell He was nearly heart
/ broken with grief. and the fact that be
I, could not 60 70 them made his anguish all
| the more keen